Keeper
by mokonahapuuuuuu
Summary: He was always going to be his brother's keeper. Writing challenge


Note: So Bolinlover123 gave me this writing idea, and I absolutely loved the results.

Thank you Bolinlover123! xo

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 **Keeper**

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Six months.

Half a year.

That's what they told Bolin after the test results came. Leukemia. How could this possibly happen to him out of all people? He was young, he had the rest of his life ahead of him. If it weren't for listening to Jinora's airbender tales about detachment and being free, he wouldn't be half as angry.

If he was with the Air Acolytes right now, they'd mistake him for being one of them since his hair was all gone from the chemo.

But he was through with all the airbender tales of being free and being happy regardless of what was in front of you. What did they know of only having six months to live for the rest of your life and not being able to do a thing about it?

Telling stories and learning life lessons weren't going to solve his problems.

With the bare strength he had, he got up from his room to the door of his apartment and opened the door.

The city was so different than when he got the leukaemia diagnosis. The atmosphere, the roar of passing Satomobiles, the laughter of children playing in the park. Seeing the good side of things was his forte, but why couldn't he see the good out of the leukaemia?

It was unfair.

Why does everybody else get to go on with their lives normally, while his was ending in only half a year?

Without knowing, he saw he smashed the window of a dry cleaners, and the alarms were blaring through his ears.

"Hey, you crazy thug, what do you think you're doing?!" It was the dry cleaning owner.

Soon, the metal bending police officers were at the scene. Tears in his eyes, Bolin couldn't believe what he did. This wasn't him.

Was he the member of the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team? Not anymore. He was no longer a mover star. Kuivera's army had disbanded, and he belonged with nothing now.

He truly was a nobody.

"Chief, what are you doing here?"

"Just happened to be in the neighbourhood…" Realizing who it was, it was no other than Lin Beifong.

Bolin looked away. He didn't want anyone who knew him to see him like this. Pray to the Spirits that Lin doesn't tell anyone else they both knew about this.

A warm smile was on the police chief. "Hey, kid…"

After everything was cleared up with the dry cleaners and the officers, Lin was the one who drove him home to his apartment.

"Heard about the leukemia," the chief of police began. "Sorry to hear that things aren't going well for you."

The old Bolin would have made a cheery comment by now, but everything was _far_ from cheery. Why shouldn't it be? It could only go down hill from here.

"I let Mako know what happened," said Lin. "He's on his way home."

"What?!" Bolin's eyes widen. Mako did work on the force, so word would have gotten fast to him, but for Mako to come to their apartment right this instant?

The last thing Bolin needed is a lecture from Mako.

Living with Mako again after the leukemia came helped Bolin, much to Bolin's displeasure. He hated the fact that he was being treated like a helpless baby.

Lin placed a hand on his shoulder and a rare, soft smile was on her face. "Take care…"

As Bolin entered to the apartment, there was Mako.

"What were you thinking?!" the firebender began. "Going outside when you know you can't handle it, you could have made yourself even _worse_ …! And you busted up a window of a dry cleaners? You've really lost it, Bo."

His eyes narrowed. "Well, maybe I _wanted_ to go outside and get worse. Beats having to wait dying when I can die now."

"What has gotten into you?" If Mako got any angrier, fire could have come out of his hands. "Ever since you've been on chemo, you haven't been yourself. Why can't you just believe in the best like you always do, that you'll get better soon?"

"Haven't been myself? _I haven't been myself in months…!_ " Bolin was practically screeching. "Do you know what it's like? Not knowing when you're gonna die and you don't have that long to live, do you think I wanted this?"

Bolin gestured to himself. "All _this_?!"

"You think you know me so well? Well, bro, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

Before he could feel himself falling to the floor, he felt Mako holding his frame. Bolin continued to sob as he was in his brother's arms.

"Sh, sh… It's okay, Bo. It's gonna be okay."

It was always going to be him and Mako, ever since the start in the street alley. Mako was his keeper ever since then.

And he was always going to be.


End file.
